Yair Rodriguez Accepts Sanction for
Violation of UFC Anti-Doping Policy https://t.co/ClyCcmIgdP— USADA (@usantidoping)
December 3, 2020
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. A prominent
Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight contender will be
out of action until early 2021. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced on Thursday that Yair
Rodriguez (13-2, 1 NC) has been suspended for six months after
three Whereabouts violations. USADA requires that every fighter on
the UFC roster notify them when they relocate or travel, and should
the agency come to test a fighter only to find no one there, they
get a Whereabouts failure marked. Three Whereabouts failures within
one year flags the fighter as if they tested positive, and USADA
responds accordingly.
USADA claimed that none of his violations were “suspicious” or that
he was trying to deceive the agency, so he was eligible to get his
suspension reduced to six months. The six-month suspension is
effective Sept. 8, so “El Pantera” will be allowed to compete again
starting in March 2021.
Rodriguez is not the first fighter of note to encounter the
Whereabouts policy through USADA, as
fighters like Donald
Cerrone and Nick Diaz have
run afoul of this in the past. Diaz was suspended
for one year after three such violations.
According to USADA, fighters are required to submit a
Whereabouts filing each quarter, with deadlines in December, March,
June and September. Additionally, when a fighter substantially
changes their situation, meaning if they travel or relocate for an
extended period, they are required to notify the agency. If an
athlete does receive Whereabouts failures, they are allowed to
challenge the decision with an independent review panel as long as
they do so within 14 days of the third failure.
Rodriguez last competed in Oct. 2019, when he captured a spirited
decision over Jeremy
Stephens. The win extended his unbeaten streak to three, with a
“Fight of the Year” and all-time great knockout of Chan Sung
Jung starting the stretch with a 4:59 no-look elbow knockout. A
no contest against Stephens from an eye poke in 15 seconds led to a
rematch a month later. Since making his promotional debut in 2014,
Rodriguez has competed 10 times. The fighter from Mexico never set
foot in the cage in 2020, as a broken ankle kept him out of a match
with Zabit
Magomedsharipov in August.
USADA’s statement regarding Rodriguez’ suspension reads as
follows:
”USADA announced today that Yair
Rodriguez, of Chihuahua, Mexico, has accepted a six-month
sanction for a violation of the UFC® Anti-Doping Policy resulting
from three Whereabouts Failures during a 12-month period.
“Like all UFC athletes, Rodriguez, 28, is a member of the UFC
Registered Testing Pool and is therefore subject to certain
Whereabouts responsibilities, which allow him to be located for
testing. Accurate Whereabouts information is a crucial component of
an effective out-of-competition testing program because it enables
anti-doping organizations to conduct no-notice sample collections,
which helps maintain effective doping deterrence and detection.
“Rodriguez failed to update his Whereabouts information and was
unavailable for testing at locations provided in his Whereabouts
Filings on three occasions. He accrued a Whereabouts Failure in
each of the first three quarters of 2020. The accumulation of three
Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period constitutes a policy
violation under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy.
“Rodriguez was eligible for a reduction in the period of
ineligibility because his conduct did not raise suspicion that he
was trying to avoid being available for testing. He received
reductions based on his degree of fault and for his Full and
Complete Cooperation.
“Rodriguez’s six-month period of ineligibility began on September
8, 2020, the date on which his third Whereabouts Failure was
declared against him.”
